A modeling career is a place where confidence is the best weapon of self defense in a fast, ever developing and widely competitive environment. Having a strong sense of your boundaries and staying grounded comes before anything else. We’ve put together a few tips for starting an ever-changing career head on:
01. Seek professional opinions:
Get yourself started by finding someone who specializes in your field of modeling- and what type of modeling you are interested in doing. This will not only expand your horizons, but allows you to experience what it’s like to take rejection from agents. Most of all, you’ll be able to see what makes you qualified to be a model.
02. Expose yourself to the industry.
The most important exposure would definitely be to agents and scouts. They will be the prime ones promoting you to jobs and shoots. It would be recommended you mail your photos to agencies over email, as emails won’t be noticed. You can also attend a modeling convention- unfortunately they can cost over $5,000 to attend. However, this will be very costly and time consuming- so you have to weigh the two options carefully.
03. Taking your snapshots
In the beginning- it’s smart to not invest in expensive photoshoots. With simple snapshots, agents will let you know your potential and from there you can take higher end photos that will showcase the specific areas they are searching for. Some agencies may even offer to loan you the expense of a professional photo shoot that way when you start getting professional photoshoots- you can pay it off.
04. Make yourself Comp. Cards/Zed cards
It’s basically a business card for models- you would hand these out to agents and anyone you meet and conventions/go sees. Print your photo, name, height, weight, age, hair color, etc on a piece of cardstock that is 8.5 in by 5.5 in. Many times a comp card (also known as zed card) has a headshot on the front and smaller photos on the flip side. You can get them printed at a printing company, or print them yourself.
05. Sign with an agency
Signing a contract with an established, well known agency is the final step before launching your career. You shouldn’t have to pay any upfront costs, since reputable agencies will be taking a small commission from modeling jobs. On receipt of your contract, the agency will sign you up for auditions and contact you about upcoming modeling calls. Then you’re good to go!
Modeling is one of the highest jobs and will be a fulfilling experience once you break into the industry. Have fun, keep an open mind, and your success is inevitable.
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